Never Change, Sugiura Ayano
by 08hurley
Summary: Sagiura Ayano has a secret, one that is driving her to madness and after a recent outburst, Toshino Kyouko does some investigating to find out the source. She discovers that Ayano is undergoing a severe internal conflict, something that Kyouko refuses to let her undergo alone. AyanoxKyouko pairing.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

"No. I'm not going to show you my notes so stop asking!"

"Buuu, you're so mean, Yui-chan! Friends are suppose to help each other," Kyouko pouted in response.

Yui was irritated, once again her friend was demanding her notes. She hated having to deal with her apathy, especially this early in the morning.

"Yeah, help! Not do everything for! Why can't you just do the work yourself? You're more than capable," Yui asked, knowing very well the answer.

'I had to meet my deadline for my latest doujinishi,' she said along with her friend in her head. She had heard that excuse so many times before it has now become a staple in her memory.

"If you can work so seriously on those otaku things, then why don't you just transfer your energy to your homework for a change?"

"Because," Kyouko paused. Her mind jumbled through a couple of different excuses. The two continued to walk in silence through the corridor for about a minute with Kyouko bearing a facial expression reflecting deep contemplation.

"Are … are you going to finish that or – "

Kyouko snapped her fingers, interrupting Yui's question. If she was aware that Yui was just speaking then she did not display so.

"I can't do that because if I transfer my energy towards my homework, I won't have any remaining for my doujins! Sacrifices must be made!"

Kyouko gleamed, proud of her own cleverness. Yui could only sigh. It was as good of an excuse of any that her easily excitable friend could have mustered. And Kyouko sighed herself. From experience, she had already guessed that the assignment would not have ended up in her hands. Her mind sorted quickly through several variables trying to determine how this assignment could be completed before it's impending due date. Completing it before class time now would be simply impossible. That was a certainty.

'No, if Yui-chan won't muster over what's rightfully mine,' the blonde thought, 'then I'll have to find someone who will!'

"Don't claim work you didn't do as yours," Yui mumbled, reading her friend's mind.

Kyouko was going to comment on her friend's display of telepathic power, but was distracted by the sudden appearance of a purple-haired girl in her field of vision. It was her friend Suguira Ayano, who appeared busy with some sort of student council work, putting up flyers and the like. Kyouko smirked a little, her problems were solved. Ayano would hand over the homework to her no doubt about it. Yeah, she'll have to deal with a raised voice and a lecture about responsibility, but in the end Ayano always helped her out even though she claimed to be her rival.

Without a word to Yui, Kyouko dashed towards the vice-president. "Ayano!" She yelled out as she propelled herself towards her. Yui, recognizing her friend's agenda, shouted out to her.

"Hey, Kyouko, don't bother her. She seems pre-occupied with something!"

But Yui already knew that this was fruitless. Once Kyouko decided to do something she could not easily be brought under submission. Ayano diverted her focus away from her work and towards the encroaching blonde. "Toshino Kyouko," she said, a little perturbed and somewhat melancholic. Toshino Kyouko was the girl of her dreams. Although she claimed to be her sworn rival, in reality she had been hiding romantic feelings from her for a couple years now. In the recent past, she was trying to take any opportunity to get closer to her crush in an effort to build up more of a coalescence. Presently, this has not been the case. Since Monday, she's been avoiding Kyouko in an effort to dissipate those feelings. Of course, this was no easy feat since irritating others was a genetic attribute of the girl, and she was constantly intruding into her life.

'I know Toshino Kyouko very well now,' Ayano thought, the mentioning of her crush soliciting feelings of want, then confusion, then anger, then sadness all amalgamated in one substantial package of angst. 'The only reason she'd be bothering me this early is probably to copy an assignment that she couldn't be bothered to do herself!'

Ayano had mused over the idea of talking to Kyouko about keeping distance for a few weeks, but couldn't figure out a way to do so that would exonerate her from suspicion. A suspicious Kyouko would be incapable of restraint – she would solicit a confession from her through any means necessary. No, that could not be allowed! Not ever. Not after the weekend incident. Ayano's angst had flared up significantly by the time her crush arrived, but being naturally dignified she managed to regain some composure.

'She doesn't know my situation, and it really doesn't involve her personally,' she thought. 'It would be unfair to get mad at her. I'll politely tell her to stop being around me. With her no longer around, I could possibly fix myself. Or at least begin, too.'

Her intrinsic voice twanged with a tad melancholy on that last thought.

"Look, Toshino Kyouko, whatever it is you're about to say- "

Kyouko interrupted her, probably unconsciously, and without a breath, declared her purpose.

"Hey Ayano, I need your homework! I wasn't able to do mine! I know it was assigned last week and all, but my doujin headline was last night and I had to finish –"

Ayano's face grew red. Not just from being in the presence of her crush as was the norm, but from anger as well. But it was more than just mere irritation; however, no she was enraged. Dealing with Kyouko's inattention, her interruptions, and self-centeredness was taxing for Ayano in most situations, especially this early in the morning. But she was always quick to dismiss those feelings instead replacing them with a sensation of jubilee, one that only comes from being noticed by a crush. But that was precisely the dilemma - the crush itself was the source of her anger and confusion. It wasn't natural, or so she began thinking. Thus, those little Kyouko encounters that she once eagerly awaited for each day had now degenerated into a nightmare.

'If Toshino Kyouko could just go away, then I would be fine! If it wasn't for her I'd be cured,' she thought to herself, Kyouko's words re-entering her conscious mind. The girl had now somehow deviated her monologue into something about her manga or whatever. She listened to every word uttered while trying desperately to think of how to appropriately react in this situation. But she couldn't think. Kyouko's rambling about mangas and animes kept distracting her, a topic which again she knew and cared about very little of even during the best scenarios. Ayano was confused and didn't know how or what to feel anymore. But every word coming out of her crush's mouth now gave her headache.

"So, you see, it was actually Rivalrun in disguise all along, which shocked me! So Mirakurun had to–"

"Shut up," Ayano said. "Ehh," replied Kyouko, going blue from shock. Ayano's words were bitterly said and they struck her through the heart. A deafening silence descended upon the halls of Nanamori Middle School.

"I'm…I'm sorry?"

"I said shut up! Okay? No, I'm not giving you my homework! And no I don't want to hear about your weird otaku stuff! I don't want to see your face today or ever! Just leave me alone!"

And with that, Ayano huffed off. She walked past an approaching Chitose who had bore witness to the whole affair. Kyouko stood there completely dumbfounded. Her eyes were fixed on Ayano walking away. She saw Chitose lip a, 'Sorry,' as she turned to chase after her infuriated friend.

Yui saw how shook up Kyouko was and went to her. "Kyouko-chan," she asked. "Are you okay?"

Kyouko turned her head around, her eyes now a little teary. "Yui-chan, why was Ayano so scary and hurtful just now?" She thrust her head down on her friend's shoulder for support. Yui pat her friend's back in an effort to cheer her up. Her instinct to say that she did, in fact, tell her so was beginning to become manifest; however, and she decided to cave into it, albeit while remaining tactful.

"You shouldn't have been bothering her," she said. "Maybe she just had it up to here with your antics. You do bother her a lot."

* * *

Kyouko originally planned to sleep throughout class, but after this morning she just couldn't. She reflected on Yui's words from earlier, and found that there was sense to them.

'Do I really bother Ayano-chan that much?' she thought to herself. She reflected on her past egregiousness: constantly breaking into the student council office without advising her beforehand, taking her puddings, coercing her into handing over assignments, or compelling her to cosplay in crazy outfits. They would all appear irritating from an objective standpoint to be sure. But Kyouko didn't think that any of those really warranted the vile reaction Ayano elicited today. It just didn't reflect the trend. Sure, Ayano would raise her voice at her and express her irritation freely, but she was never that hostile about it. Despite whatever annoyance Ayano conveyed, Kyouko always saw a glimmer of happiness somewhere as if she was secretly enjoying herself but didn't want to admit it. But today her words were so uncharacteristically hurtful.

'I know Ayano. There's something more to this. There's something wrong.'

She took the occasional glance at the girl. Kyouko sat behind her a bit so she couldn't see her face. But she could see that Ayano was looking out the window, not paying attention to the class much.

And Kyouko wondered what she was thinking about.

"Psst. Hey, Kyouko-chan," Yui said, disturbing her train of thought. "It's a note from Chitose. I think it's for you."

Kyouko took the ripped piece of loose-leaf from her friend and unfolded it.

'You want to know what's up with Ayano-chan?' the note read. 'Meet me by the west-wing staircase later and I'll let you know. First floor.'

* * *

"I'm feeling a little off about this," Yui said as the pair headed towards the meeting point designated by their white-haired classmate. "I mean, do we really have a right to intrude into Ayano's personal affairs? She never sought out our involvement."

"Chitose-san is offering to tell us," Kyouko countered. "She asked us if we wanted to know."

"Yeah, but does Chitose-san really have a right to let us into her life? I mean, I know they're best friends and all, but-"

"C'mon, Yui-chan! Don't you want to now what's up with her? Maybe we can help her in some way!"

"Yeah, maybe, but –"

"Look, there she is," Kyouko interrupted. Chitose entered their range as the pair approached the stairs. She had her back turned towards them.

"Hey, Chitose-chan," greeted Kyouko.

"Ah, there you are," whispered Chitose as she turned towards them. She urged them with her hands to follow her behind the staircase. The pair complied.

I'm sorry for the security," Chitose said once the group was behind the staircase. "What I'm about to tell you is very personal, so I can't betray Ayano-chan's trust by letting this get out in the open."

"If you're so worried about that then why tell us at all?" asked Yui.

"Well, I guess apart of it is that I'm tired off keeping this all to myself. That initially sounds selfish, I know, but this really is a big burden to bear, so I'll tell you two, but can you promise me that this remains secretive," she asked, using the "the down low" hand gesture to emphasize her point. The two girls nodded.

"And naturally, I can't tell you every detail. You understand."

The two nodded again, and then Chitose told them of the recent dairy incident.

To Be Continued ... Maybe


	2. Chapter 2

"Phew, it's really coming down out there," Ayano said as she put her umbrella back in the pot, careful not to drop her freshly-acquired items.

"I'm back, mom. I have the groceries," she walked into the kitchen. Ayano was taken aback a little by the sight of her mother staring directly ahead completely comatose. It was as if she were in a trance. There was no sign that she recognized Ayano's greeting to any degree.

"Mom," she asked again while putting the food down on the table. "Mom, are you okay?"

"Oh, Ayano. Dear," her mother snapped back to reality, looking at her daughter. Her tone resonated with a deep anxiety. Ayano couldn't help but notice her mother's eyes - they were piercing straight through her. She watched as her mother scrutinized her, frisking her with her pupils. Ayano met her gaze head on, but as soon as their sights matched, her mother turned away as if to avoid direct eye contact. Ayano observed that her mother was fighting back tears.

"Is everything okay?" Ayano asked again. Her mother only nodded.

"Everything's fine, dear," her tone rife with desperation. "Just something I have to discuss with your father, that's all. Go on to your room, I'll be fine."

Ayano offered to help set up the dinner, but her mother declined it. She shrugged it off and went upstairs to her room. She decided to do some homework to pass the time until dinner. She was debating whether to start work on either mathematics or English when she heard the front door open downstairs. It was her father coming in. She ultimately decided to do mathematics, and she went on with her work for a good hour or so until her father interrupted her progress.

"Ayano," he shouted up the stairs. "Could you come down? We need to talk to you."

"Hmm," Ayano let out inquisitively. "What could this be about?"

Ayano ventured downstairs and found her parents in the sitting room. She sat in the chair opposite from them as she always did in family discussions.

"What's wrong," she asked. "Is everything okay?"

Her parents looked conflicted, her mother especially so.

'The atmosphere in here is chilling,' she thought. 'I wonder if this has anything to do with mother's strange behavior earlier. But what does that have to do with me? Did I do something?'

"Ayano," her father started off as he stood up. He took a pause and paced about the room wearing his contemplation face. Whatever the problem was he clearly didn't know how to approach it. Being the man he was, he decided to dive straight in. "You know that your mother and I love you and that we only want what's best for you." But not immediately.

"Yeah," she responded, puzzled by the cliché, and knowing from childhood experience that the trite declaration was never succeeded by anything positive. "I'm sorry, dad, but I fail to see where you're going with this."

Her father looked at her mother who in turn looked at the ground with an expression of distraught. Ayano couldn't figure out what egregious deed she committed that could have possibly rendered her so disturbed. A twinge of undeserved guilt struck Ayano at her core. More than a twinge was to follow.

"Well, Ayano, there's no easy way to put this, so we're gonna just put it out there," her father continued, finally taking the direct route. "While you were out doing errands, your mother saw your diary open on your desk."

A blast of shock ruptured through Ayano's nervous system in reaction to this news. She had a good idea now of what her father was talking about. She began a cold sweat.

'Oh my God, do they know? They can't know! Oh God, not that! Please, let this be over anything else but that.'

And although she was aware of the impossibility, she hoped for some sort of miracle - an act of divine intervention to save her from this situation. But there was no escape, her time had come.

"And she just read that page only, mind you! We respect your privacy, so we didn't run through the whole thing. But what she read was a little … disturbing."

'No! No! No! No! No! No! No! Stupid! Stupid! Why didn't I just put that diary away! I've always had in the past," she beat herself up. Ayano suffered a minor memory slip nothing more severe than the average human being experiences, but due to the current circumstances, this cognitive slip now evolved into a grave mistake. She knew that her parents had found out today about her biggest secret.

'Goddamit! Not this way! Please, don't let it be this way,' she thought.

"I still don't see what you are talking about," she feigned innocence in a desperate attempt to avoid the discussion as long as possible. She rubbed her sweaty palms together nervously. Her body temperature flared upwards. She felt as if she were under a hot lamp in a police station and the cops were trying to break her psychologically in an attempt to extract a confession.

"We know the truth now, Ayano! You can't hide it from us anymore! And we just want to help you."

Despite the obvious illogic of it, Ayano tried one last desperate ploy in an ill-found hope to disaffirm her fears. With an obviously forced naivety, she asked, "What truth do you know?"

And although she knew what the answer was, still hearing it from her father's own mouth sent her into shock.

* * *

"What!?" Akari and Chinatsu said at once. "Sagiura-sempai likes other girls?"

"Umm," Yui nodded. The Amusement Club gathered in their illegally occupied clubhouse, partaking in their usual activity. At first, Yui was skeptical about telling the younger years about their earlier noir-esque encounter with Chitose, but Kyouko's grim expression could not avoid the girls' attention. Kyouko never responded to their questioning, too lost in thought to register even Chinatsu's existence. No, rather it was Yui herself who caved into the barrage of inquiries. She felt a little guilty about it, breaching an oath of secrecy did contradict her strong sense of conviction. But she excused herself with the fact that the news was very big. And besides, Akari and Chinatsu were her friends. She knew that they could be trusted with a secret.

"But apparently there's one girl in particular she likes," she continued.

Chinatsu secretly sighed to herself, relieved with the knowledge that she was not alone in this personal struggle. Harboring a crush of her own on Yui, she often wondered herself whether same-sex attractions were a normal part of the human experience. This knowledge was self-evidence that it clearly was.

"So, that's why Sagiura-sempai's been feeling down lately," said Akari. "I've noticed that she has been acting off for about a week now, but whenever I asked her what was wrong she wouldn't say. This must be the reason." Akari decided for the sake of her already unstable presence, or rather lack thereof, to exclude the part where she had to ask Ayano a total seven times before the vice-president took notice of her, a new record.

"I don't think her mother intended to read the diary, but Ayano carelessly left it open on a page that described her affection of a female classmate. Her parents are very traditional so naturally they flipped out, and now she's very upset. They even tried to get her to name the girl, but she refused to tell them anything."

"Well, I wouldn't know what she or her parents would be feeling right now, but what's wrong with Sagiura-sempai liking other girls? I mean, it's not like she's hurting anybody," asked Akari naively.

"Well, from what Chitose-san told us, her parents really want her to have a traditional family one day with a husband and all that. So obviously this would threaten that vision." Yui glanced over at Kyouko who since the meeting had been uncharacteristically silent. She'd never saw her so contemplative about anything before. For whatever reason, this news clearly impacted Kyouko deeply. As to why that was the case, Yui was at aghast. The blonde was historically carefree. Yui turned back towards the Youngers and continued to recount the information.

"Ayano has been put under considerable stress recently. There's apparently talk of sending her to some camp in America to make her better or something."

"What? A camp?" Chinatsu asked. "What camp?"

"Oh yeah, I heard about this! I saw a documentary about it, " said Akari. "There are these Christian-run camps in America that supposedly fix people who like the same sex so that they can like the opposite sex, instead. This is because American Christians don't think that this is normal."

"Umph," Yui nodded, impressed with the display of knowledge. She was seeing her longtime friends in new lights all over the place today. "I didn't know you knew about such things, Akari-chan."

"Yeah, well, you know," Akari said, rubbing the back of her head, appreciating the attention. "I was just watching the American channels one day and it was on so I just decided to watch-"

"If her parents follow through on this, then she would have to drop out of school here, I believe," Yui interjected.

'She ignored me,' thought Akari. 'She was impressed just now, but then she quickly lost interest.' Akari sulked.

"Hmmph, that's despicable," Chinatsu said in contempt. "Making her go away to some crazy camp in another country just because she likes a girl."

"I don't think they're actually forcing her," Yui said. "They're just actively encouraging her if my understanding is correct."

'Mmph!' Chinatsu retained her discontent. "Still, if my parents even suggested some nonsense like that to me, I'd kill them," the pink-haired girl replied. "I'd trap them in a bear trap and hang them up in a tree where no one would find them for days!"

Chinatsu sipped her tea gracefully as Yui and Akari both sweat a single bead each upon hearing such extreme rhetoric from their close friend. "Well," said Akari. "Let's hope it never comes to that, Chinatsu-chan."

Kyouko did not react to this disturbing insight into her favorite anime character's insidious psyche. She was still under the stairs engrossed with every detail Chitose had outlined about Ayano's struggle.

* * *

"Yeah, Ayano really loves this girl. I know that deeply," the spectacled girl said. "But after seeing how her parents reacted and hearing their suggestions on how to fix herself, I don't know, but I think she's beginning to doubt herself. I think she's beginning to think that it really is unhealthy to have these feelings. It really saddens me because I know that this girl really makes Ayano happy deep down and to see her doubt her true self like this, it makes me sad for her."

* * *

BMAF! Kyoko banged her fist down on the table, spilling her tea. "It's not right," Kyouko said aloud. The other three were disturbed from whatever topic that they've moved onto. Yui was going to give a lecture about diligence and external awareness in regards to banging tables and tea, but instead she grew more concerned upon seeing Kyouko's tense stance.

"Kyouko," asked Yui. "Are you–?"

Kyouko shot straight up from her seat and she glared into the distance - looking straight at the wall, but not seeing it. Instead, she saw past the wall and had a moment of intense epiphany that she never before had realized. She was in a place that her friends could not reach out to her. Back on Earth, she had fire in her eyes.

"As an otaku," she issued her address. "I'm used to people thinking that what I do or what I like is odd and strange, but I don't care about any of that because at the end of the day, I know I'm just being me. That's just the way I am! And if Ayano likes girls, then that's just the way she is! And I know that nobody has the right to make her feel bad about the way she is! Nobody!"

Her speech had brought down upon the room a deafening silence. Moved, Akari wiped a tear from her eye. "Kyouko-chan, that was beautiful," the redhead said. "This must be how the African-American demonstrators felt after hearing the 'I Had a Dream Speech,' on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial." Akari had also seen a documentary about the American Civil Rights Leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. on the American channels, but this reference was lost on her friends at the current moment.

"Yui-sempai, hold me," said a teary-eyed Chinatsu turning to her elder for support.

"Yeah sure," Yui said, reluctantly as ever. Her attention was completely diverted towards her childhood friend. A serious Kyouko was always a rarity, but even then, to see her so passionately concerned and empathetic towards another person was almost something else entirely. Yui knew that the girl had transcended to a new level of consciousness the likes of which few human beings outside of monasteries rarely reach.

Without a word to anyone, Kyouko turned and headed for the door.

"Kyouko, where are you going-?"

But before Yui could finish, Kyouko ran out of the clubroom and across the green, through the corridors and towards the student council room.

To Be Continued ... Maybe?

* * *

AN: So, here's chapter 2 and we find out the shocking secret that a Yuruyuri character *gasp* likes a girl! I know, shocking right! You've all been Shamalayn'd! But still, I decided to build up the suspense on it because, hey, the characters don't know. And that's all that counts in storytelling.

But aside from that, there were some genuine surprises, weren't there? I mean, who would've thought that Akari knew so much about American culture and history? It's almost as if she's being written by a filthy American! Also, Chinatsu just revealed the reason why her drawings are probably so horrifying. Don't think Yui will be sleeping soundly anytime soon. Anyway, that pretty much wraps it up on the Amusement Club for the rest of the story. Akari's condition really is contagious it would seem. Not that it matters anyway, this is Kyouko and Ayano's story after all!

Student Council in the next chapter!

Anyway, thanks for reading. Did you like it? Leave a review if you did and follow the story! Oh and follow me, too! I also have written a couple of Hetalia's if anyone into that. Just gay stuff all over the place with this author. But most importantly, review please! I love reviews and praise and critique!

Stay tuned for the next chapter, which will probably be uploaded in a couple days time. Depends on my work schedule. The Proletarian Struggle continues as always. Gotta make the paper.

Peace!

P.S. - Oh, and no offense to any Christians! I was just p=emphasizing Akari's limited awareness of the foreign American culture. You know I love you, you crazy crusaders you!


	3. Chapter 3

Ayano sighed heavily as she shifted through the paperwork mindlessly, both trying her best to get it done, but not in a way to expedite the task. Since the diary incident, she has been active with her extracurricular even more so than usual mainly to avoid going home. She always enjoyed her work and it gave her a sense of personal satisfaction during the best of times, but now her vice-presidency was her sole source of alleviation and tranquility. Here, she was not only forcing herself to remain productive, but she was also free of the grief, albeit temporarily. In this time of doubt and struggle, the student council has been there for her, keeping her sane.

The other council members were each performing their own tasks. It was a full house today with Matsumoto Rise, Nishigaki Nana, Ikeda Chitose, and the married couple themselves, Ohmuro Sakurako and Furutani Himawari, all in attendance. They all left Ayano mostly to her own devices today aside from the occasional word of console. All of them had some degree of awareness about the matter, but aside from Chitose, all of them were left largely in the dark. Although Ayano did love her council members and saw each one as a personal friend, she did not feel compelled to let them know exactly what was going on with her, mostly out of fear of alienation. But they didn't push the matter and they let her be. Ayano was anxious, at first, that Sakurako was going to irritate her into a confession and that more drastic defenses would have to be adopted with her, but surprisingly the ball of petulant energy had backed off upon seeing Ayano's serious demeanor.

At Chitose's insistence, all of them went out of their way to give her some space and peace today, which was nothing if not beneficial. Sakurako and Himawari even came to a truce of sorts that while they were in council room, or otherwise in Ayano's presence, that they would refrain from conflict in order to mollify their leader's stress as best they could, which was a thought that did comfort the vice-president a little bit. It was good to see that she did have friends, even if they didn't know the full truth. But comfort was once again usurped by doubt.

'Would they all still be friends with me if they knew the truth about … my … my … condition?" She grimaced as she thought about her love for Kyouko in such sterile terms.

'I mean, obviously Chitose knows and she still accepts me. But of course, she always knew. What about the rest of them, though? They'd probably think it was strange, wouldn't they? Maybe it is weird that I like girls then. Maybe I am sick. Maybe I should go to that camp and get … better.'

* * *

Then, Ayano went into a daydream - a dream about how her fellow council members might react if they discovered her secret.

Unconsciously, Ayano found herself in a dark space that apparently lacked any boundaries and stretched onwards indefinitely. She was sitting in a chair under the sole light source for miles. Suddenly, a few more lights appeared from the heavens and it was revealed that she was on trial in some post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk version of the student council room. Rise herself sat behind a judge's desk that was high beyond any semblance of reason. She wore some old school, science-fiction monk robes that were mostly plain white, but were black at the shoulders and the collars. She was not alone – next to her was the science teacher, Nishigaki Nano, and off to the side stood the other members, minus Chitose. They all wore the same robes and they were all fiercely glaring at her. All in all, Ayano was disappointed that this was the form her subconscious takes to cope with grief.

Time was impossible to measure, but it seemed as though the trial had just ended. Rise slammed some sort laser gavel down onto the stand and passed the judgment, but of course the girl was inaudible above a whisper.

'What?' Ayano shouted inquisitively. The president repeated, but none the louder. 'What!?'

'Oh for God's sake,' the science teacher interjected. 'Allow me Rise-ahem!' Nana banged her chest softly and cleared out her throat, and in a deeper and more somber tone that boomed across space, she thunderously declared, 'Vice President Sugiura Ayano, you have been found guilty of the crime of having affections for the same sex, which violates the moral codes of Nanamori Middle School of which the Student Council has been founded to maintain and uphold. For this crime, there is but one punishment - you are hereby sentenced to exile!'

'NO!' Ayano could only yell in reaction to the harsh decree. 'I never asked for this! I never asked to love another girl! I had no control over it!'

'Excuses, excuses, Sugiura-sempai, you-' Himawari said coldly from the sidelines, but she was interrupted by Sakurako.

'Yeah, you have disgraced us all with your weird fetishes.'

'Hey, don't interrupt me.'

'Well, then don't step on my lines, fool!'

And the imaginary girls then proceeded to bicker for about a minute or so.

'Even in my mind those two don't give me any peace.'

'Knock it off, you two,' Nana exclaimed regaining authority. The bickering duo ceased quarreling and regained their respective composures. 'Now, your sentence is to be carried out,' continued her mind's eye vision of the science teacher.

'Nnnooooo,' Ayano pleaded again. 'I can change! I can do better!'

'There is nothing you can do to rectify your disgrace. You will be exiled and all evidence of your duties in the Student Council will be erased from history! It will be as if you never existed!'

The council disappeared and Ayano was sent spinning and spiraling alone through a darkened purgatory.

'No! You can't do this to me,' she desperately pleaded. But only the dark, the cold, and the silence were there to respond and they refused to exonerate her from the guilt. Rather, the trio took comfort in her misery. 'Please! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!'

* * *

Ayano was pulled out of her daydream by a tug on the sleeve. Composure regained, Ayano looked and saw that it was the flesh-and-bone president, Matsumoto Rise.

"Oh, Matsumoto-sempai. Sorry, do you want something?"

The president then proceeded to mouth her words, but to Ayano she remained inaudible.

"Ah, she says that if your burden is too great, you can go home early if you want. She understands that you've been going through personal stuff lately," said the real Nishigaki Nana.

"Ah, no, no! Don't fret over me, Matsumoto-sempai," Ayano replied with sincerity. "I won't allow my problems to detract from my responsibilities." Ayano felt deeply that regardless of her strife she needed to remain dedicated to her duties. Her student council work was important and she couldn't let the team down. And as an aside, she didn't want to go home. As far as she was concerned, she didn't have one.

Chitose stepped over and put her hand on Ayano's shoulder, understanding more than anyone in the room the severity of her current plight.

"At least give yourself a bit of a break, Ayano-chan. You shouldn't put too big a toll on yourself," she said in here usual soothing tone. Ayano never figured out what it was exactly about Chitose, but she always knew how to calm her down and make her see sense. She didn't know whether it was the tone of her voice or the glasses or some sort of unobservable and ethereal quality, but her white-haired friend's words always resonated with great wisdom and concern.

"Eh, no! Thanks for your concern, Chitose-chan, but I'm fine really! I shouldn't let my afflictions disturb you guys."

"Hey, come on, Sugiura-san, take a break for yourself. Buddha knows that I'd like to," said Sakurako. Himarawi nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we'll be fine without you! Take some time for yourself," the bluenette added.

Rise mouthed more words which again Ayano could not pick up.

"The president insists as well," Nishigaki-sensai said. "After all, if she should die in one of my experiments, then you'll have to be in a full mental state to usurp her."

"That wouldn't be a problem if you just stopped trying to blow up our president," Ayano mumbled. "And what do you think this work involves? Running a country?"

"Come on, Ayano-chan. Take the break. You deserve it! We don't need you here. We can finish up just fine without you!" Chitose finished with a smile and gave her a thumbs up.

Ayano saw their concern for her welfare and smiled. This knowledge did help to dissipate her feelings of isolation if ever just minutely.

"Well, it's nice to see my work is so valued around here," Ayano quipped sarcastically, allowing herself to laugh a little. "All right, I'll go up to the roof for a little while and sit down."

"Ummh," Chitose let out cheerily. "You go do that and forget about everything." And with that, Ayano pulled the door across and walked out into the corridors. She could hear Sakurako and Himarawi immediately break out into a major argument as soon as the door was firmly shut.

Ayano allowed herself to laugh again. "They certainly did hold a lot back for my sake, didn't they?"

The fight between the two rivals turned out to be something more than just the normal skirmish. Since agreeing to the truce, noth had repressed every minute detail that their counterpart had done that irritated her, and thus it escalated quickly into a fierce battle that almost as soon as it began nobody could even remember what the two were fighting about or for. Despite the tenacity of both sides, it did end relatively quickly. The whole affair was like a thunderstorm - over before it really began. After both girls had lost a fair deal of self-respect, the student council room gradually returned to their work. But they were disturbed once again; however, when their frequent intruder threw aside the door and barged in.

"Kyouko-sempai," yelled Himarawi and Sakurako simultaneously. Sakurako then proceeded to jinx Himarawi and insisted that the bluenette now owed her a soft drink, which caused another quarrel between the couple. Chitose ignored the duo's latest commotion, instead more personally invested in the blonde intruder's intentions.

"Toshino-san, what are you doing here?"

The overly-hyperactive Kyouko grabbed Chitose and shook her a little as she declared her intentions.

"I'm here to see Ayano-chan! Is she around? Where is she?"

"Oh," Chitose responded giddily. She chuckled a bit as she felt a fantasy coming on. "She … she went to the roof if you want to go find her."

"Ummh," nodded the hyper girl fiercely. "Thanks, Chitose-chan! I owe you!"

Kyouko rushed out the door and followed Ayano's path. The spectacled girl laughed softly as the door closed behind the fleeing girl.

"No, no, no, Kyouko-chan! On the contrary, I owe you," and Chitose threw off her spectacles and delved deeply into her fantasy. Blood began to spout from her nose as blissful thoughts and feelings overwhelmed her.

Rise observed the fantasizing girl and the bickering pair, and mumbled something aquiet to herself, which Nishigaki laughed at in response.

"I know, right! Who would ever elect these people?"

And Kyouko dashed up the stairs and towards the roof.

TO ... BE ... CONTINUED !? Maybe ... we shall see!

* * *

AN: Another chapter down. So this is what the student council has been doing during this time. Poor Ayano, we've all been there. I speak from personal experience when I say that the worst part of depression is its forced alienation. Even if you know you have friends, you think you don't and it's a killer. I was a little reluctant actually to portray the daydream the way I did, I originally wanted to do something more serious, but instead this little parody came out, and then I thought why not? I still think I succeeded in getting the point about the severity of depression and everything even if it is a bit of comedy.

Oh, and bonus points by the way if you can name the exact episode of the exact show that Ayano's daydream was parodying! I'll bet none of you will ever guess! Hint: it's very popular right now in science-fiction circles.

Well, that wraps it up for the Student Council. Akari's presencelessness is really spreading fast! Soon, everyone will be ensnared. Actually, I'm shocked I even wrote this man people in. Now that I think about it I pretty much got every cast member in, at least all the main characters! that's amazing considering that I originally intended this story to be literally just Kyouko and Ayano and NO ONE ELSE! But, then everything got expanded and, well you know, it's the curse of the Writing Lords.

Chapter 4 to come up in about the same amount of time! The climax no less! And it's gonna be fluffy and dramatic. It's gonna be fluffy drama! let's see how it turns out, eh?


	4. Chapter 4

Ayano sat on a bench basking in the remainder of the afternoon light. In the distance an orange glow was already illuminating over the horizon. it would be dusk soon. In a few hours, the day would begin anew, and the chain of perpetual misery would continue. She enjoyed the sight of the still blue sky and the clouds above. The blue reminded her of Kyouko's lovely deep blue eyes she would secretly gaze at whenever the opportunity presented itself. Those eyes and their mesmerizing effect on her. Ayano realized that she allowed Kyouko back into her thoughts again, and in desperation, tried to expel them.

'No, Ayano, you can't think about her like that anymore! It's not normal.'

But her attempts only made her think about Kyouko more. Her beautiful smile, those over-exaggerated reactions of hers. Her energy and excitement for almost everything is what attracted Ayano the most. She recalled all the times they had together, and how she thought that every time was when she would finally make her revelation. She always copped out in the end; however, something that she decided was probably for the best.

"She would just think I'm strange and hate me for it anyway," she said aloud, tears forming in her eyes. She thought about earlier this morning and reflected on the bitterness of her words. She thought of the rage she felt instead of her usual nervousness. She questioned whether this was a sign of improvement or whether is was healthy. She wondered if it she reacted in the right way. On the one hand it was good if it kept her away, but on the other it didn't help to dispel her abnormal obsession. Kyouko still very much remained in her conscious mind.

'Toshino Kyouko…," she whispered, tears streaming down her face.

Recently in science class, Nishigaki talked about psychological transference, and Ayano knew that this was what she had done this morning. She knew also that it was wrong. Nothing that had happened was in anyway Kyouko's fault.

"But it is her fault that I'm this way," Ayano yelled, her eyes reddened from salinated moisture. "It is her fault! With her cute smile, her adorable energy! her apathy for her homework, but her intense dedication to her mangas!"

Ayano laughed a little in between sobs, thinking of the blonde's little idiosyncrasies always amused her. But her stomach proceeded to pain her. She clutched in a vain hope of relief. Another headache was also beginning to settle in. She was angry, confused, scared, and all these feelings only served to re-intensify her anger. She was trapped in a Sisyphean loop of negativity until eventually her emotions, unable to maintain the burden, collapsed under the strain leaving she with bitter emptiness. She was felt at her lowest, even lower than when she discovered that Kyouko went to the Comiket without inviting her along. Prior to the diary incident, she thought that that was the worst day of her life. Ayano stopped in the middle of her thoughts realizing that she once again failed to prevent herself from thinking about her forbidden crush. Instead of igniting the same angst cycle as before, she just wallowed in bitter sadness.

"I'll never be able to stop thinking about Toshino Kyouko unless I leave here," she mumbled to herself. "I'll need to leave if I'm ever to be cured."

She reached into her backpack and pulled out the camp's brochure. Ayano's parents were never traditionally Christian and she had but one cousin in America whom she only met once. This flier was a strong symbol of her parents' conventional sentimentality. Ayano laid herself down on the bench. She slapped the brochure across her eyes, shielding them from the blue sky. She sighed. Ayano wanted to meet their expectations, but at the same time, she was simply fearful. Crossing an entire ocean and being reformed by a religion she did not believe in didn't exactly inspire confidence. But still, the flier guaranteed that with faith in the Judeo-Christian God and with willpower, she could be reformed. She could be normal.

'The trouble is,' she thought again, 'I never thought I was abnormal until my parents started telling me I was.'

"Ugh, I just don't know what to do," she started rocking herself side-to-side overwhelmed by grief. Her self-pity session was interrupted; however, when the roof door was barged down.

"Sugiura Ayano!"

"Eeehhhh," the puzzled girl snapped out of her self-pity putting a familiar face on the voice. She threw herself upwards and stood up, facing the girl head on. "Toshino…Kyo-?"

Before Ayano could finish, she found herself grabbed by her desire, which caused purple-haired girl to redden.

"Toshino Kyouko! What is this! Unhand me!"

"AYANO," Kyouko yelled getting the girl's attention. "Ayano, don't go to that crazy Christian camp!"

"Wwwhhaa-?," Ayano let out. 'How did she find out about that?'

Kyouko continued, "Look, Ayano, I know what you've been going through. And I know that you like girls!"

"EEEEGGGGHHHH?" Ayano let out again. "How, how, how did you find out-?"

Kyouko threw her hand gently over Ayano's lips effectively stopping her stuttering.

"Ssshhhhh!"

'Did … did she just shush me?' the flabbergasted Ayano thought. Kyouko did, in fact, shush her, but Ayano in her current state of emotional fragility did not know how to appropriately react to this, so her emotional cortexes instead just shut down and a sense of serenity flowed through her veins. She felt a calm that she had not experienced for about a week.

"Just let me talk awhile okay?" the other girl asked imperatively. Kyouko hoped that she did not go on an unfocused tangent. If there was one time where it would be completely inappropriate to do so, she thought now was definitely it. She also knew that Yui would hit her if she did. Even if she wasn't here right now, Yui'll know because she always knows.

"As I was saying, I know that you like girls, but that's just the way you are, you know," she continued, proud that she was off to a strong start. "That's just the way you are. So, don't let people change you! If another girl makes you happy then you deserve to be with her and be happy, but I don't want to see you throw your happiness away because your parents don't understand you. If your parents or if anybody in school or if anybody anywhere has a problem with you liking girls, then you let them have that problem! But don't ever let it be your problem because it is not yours! Don't you ever conform to anybody else's standard because you are Sugiura Ayano, and you deserve better than that!"

The blonde girl, finishing her piece, finally took a deep breathe. She felt as if she hadn't breathed since she was sitting with the Amusement Club. She withdrew her hand from Ayano's mouth, who just stood there staring at her. Kyouko awaited for Ayano's response, which never came. Ayano was still dazed. Kyouko began to worry is she perhaps did go off on a tangent of sorts without realizing it, a thought that worried her.

"I hope you saw where I was getting at?" she half-heartedly smiled. She chuckled to hide her anxiousness. "I'm not sure if I said that in the best way. Actually, I was kind of hoping that I'd say something more substantial. But I was just worried about you the whole day, and I needed to come comfort you."

Ayano's eyes light up on that last phrase. 'I needed to comfort you.' It played on a loop in Ayano's mind for a few seconds. Then suddenly, a wind came and blew the camp flier right out of Ayano's hand. The parchment glided upwards and danced on the air alongside a pool coupon and wishing paper that appeared out of nowhere. The flier separated from the other two pieces of flying rubbish and it sailed of into the distant horizon and away from Ayano forever.

"Toshino Kyouko," Ayano muttered dazedly. She tried to say something, but couldn't. All she could do was stare at her crush in the light of the setting sun. Ayano always thought that the other was pretty and cute, but now with the dusklight casting a bright orange hue onto her blonde head of hair, Ayano knew that Toshino Kyouko was the most beautiful girl that she'd ever seen. It took her a whole minute to realize that she still hadn't said anything and, upon seeing Kyouko's worrying expression, desperately tried to come up with a response.

"How … how did you-?" was al she could think of to say.

"Chitose told me," Kyouko responded, hip to what Ayano was asking. "Sorry, she didn't mean to, you understand. She was just so worried about you because she knew that you were doubting yourself and thinking you were sick," Kyouko said, glad that Ayano had finally emerged from her paralysis.

"Ah, of course, Chitose. It would be just like her to watch out for me like that. Wait, she didn't tell you anything else, did she?" Ayano suddenly asked a bit panicked. If Kyouko did know her truest secret, that fact would probably have manifested itself more definitively by this stage, but fear of such exposure did not permit Ayano to think rationally.

"Well, she said that she couldn't tell me who you had a crush on, and I didn't press to hard. You have the right to your privacy."

Ayano sighed with relief. 'Of course Chitose wouldn't go that far,' she thought a little guiltily. 'How dare I doubt my best friend!'

"But, Ayano, if I do say so, after she said that to me – about you thinking that you weren't normal and that you thought you needed fixing. Well, I don't know why exactly, but it just made me so aggravated I had just had to come find you and tell you to knock that off!"

And alas, Ayano fully recovered upon hearing this. She returned to normal, meaning that her legs were beginning to feel gelatinous due to the thought of her crush concerned about her all day.

"So, you … you," she stuttered out, unable to take the prolonged emotional exposure to her crush any longer. "So, you think I'm normal, then?"

"You? Normal? Hell no, you're not normal," Kyouko said, sending her self-appointed rival aback a bit.

"Eh?" Ayano let out, not expecting such a shift in tone.

"No, you're Sugiura Ayano! And that's better than normal!"

And then Ayano's legs finished their conversion and she melted into the ground with a long sigh. Kyouko was aghast by this sudden collapse and immediately extended her arm to help her friend up.

"Are you alright?" Kyouko inquired, her voice resonating with sincere concern. "Do you need medical help? The nurse's office is probably closed by now!"

"I'm alright, Toshino Kyouko," Ayano replied, embarrassed that her crush saw her in such a pathetic state after this incredibly romantic scene. That word stood out to here then – 'romantic.' This was a pretty romantic scene: her crush had just come running in to save her, they were on the roof alone, and the sun was setting. And an epiphany was reached - this was the opportune time to reveal her true feelings. There will never be another moment as perfect again in space and time. She slowly opened her mouth and said something truly remarkble.

"Kyouko-chan…"

"Ehh," Kyouko let out. Ayano never addressed her with even her given name, never mind with the honorific. This meant then that whatever Ayano was about to say had to be big news. But Ayano's resolve decreased sharply and doubt once encroached upon her.

'What if she doesn't feel the same way? Just because I like girls doesn't mean that she does.'

She desperately tried to ignore the doubt with marginal success, and she continued.

"Kyouko-chan, I –"

She began to break out into a cold sweat. She looked directly into Kyouko's eyes and saw that she was staring straight back into hers. This was it! This was the time! She recalled a colloquium from her English class, something like "the eyes are the windows to the soul." That would mean then that if she pulled this off, then Kyouko would her truest self revealed, and then she would see Kyouko's truest self in return.

"I-"

She was captivated by how stunningly beautiful she was. The setting sun made her hair shine with such radiance. She was glowing a fierce gold. That alone was enough inspiration to finally make this confession. It was on her tongue now, there was absolutely no going back, no way this could fail.

'C'mon, Ayano, this is it,' she prepped herself. 'We can do it!' She paused once more and took a deep breathe. 'And. Here. We. Go.'

"Kyouko-chan, I want to apologize for what I said to you this morning."

And Ayano's confidence plummeted rock bottom, and she hated herself profusely. She had squandered the perfect moment. She allowed fear and insecurity to creep back in and she squander it. She had failed.

"Yeah," she said in a tone that screamed self-disappointment. "I just wanted to say I apologize."

"Is that it?" Kyouko inquired, expecting more with the addition of "-chan."

"Yeah, " Ayano miffed as she looked aside towards the setting sun, trying her best to hide her shame from her crush. "Yeah, that's all."

'Ayano, you're the biggest idiot alive,' she chastised herself. 'And I'll never forgive you for this.'

But then she found herself gripped in a hug. "It's okay," Kyouko said with jubilee. "I forgive you."

In the past, Ayano would have yelled at her rival to stop this display of affection immediately while flustering in embarrassment, nervousness, and secret joy, but instead just for this one brief moment, she swallowed her pride and allowed herself to fully embrace Kyouko's contact. She returned the hug herself, and she felt success. Ayano noticed a sticky sensation on her cheeks. it was her tears, they had finished drying. After the hug ended, the pair noticed just how dark it was beginning to get, and figured that they risked lock-in if they didn't leave soon.

"Wanna go, Ayano-chan?" Kyouko asked, smiling.

"Well, I guess we don't have a choice really," Ayano quipped back, and hand-in-hand, the pair walked off the roof as the sun dipped below the horizon.

* * *

Chitose awoke to the hazy sight of a girl holding her hand. She was unfamiliar with her surroundings. She looked around and made out that she was in a beige room in a bed, and hooked up to an IV bag. As she regained her senses, she recognized Chizuru as the girl consoling her hand.

"Chizuru-oneesan?" Chitose asked faintly. She was lethargic, completely sapped of strength. "Where ... where am I?"

"Hospital," her twin responded. "You lost a fifth of your body's blood! What happened to you, oneesan?"

Chitose chuckled softly in response to the news. "Oh, oneesan," she said blissfully. "Oh, oneesan, today was a great day for Ayano-chan."

Chizuru gasped in concern as Chitose once again lost consciousness.

* * *

AN: Sorry everyone about the mess up. i have no idea what happened! It was fine last night. Anyway, it is fixed now.

And this was chapter 4, move onto the epilogue. And even after all that, Ayano still couldn't find the courage! Don't worry, Ayano-chan, Kyouko will figure it out. One day. I hope.

And I can't believe it, but Chitose managed to work herself back into the story! Lol! Couldn't resist the joke. It just wouldn't have been Yuruyuri if I did!


	5. And The Epilogue

"Ayano? Ayano? Earth to Ayano!"

After the sixth or seventh time her name was called, Ayano finally snapped out of her trance.

"Nervous, Ayano?" Kyouko asked as the pair walked with their group of friends towards Ayano's house. Ayano shook her head in the negative, but her million-mile stare and the slight quiver in her lower lip told a different story. Kyouko knew she was lying, that the proud girl was actually terrified deeply of the potential consequences. The chance of victory today was pyrrhic at best. Kyouko knew not to push the issue.

It has been about two weeks since the roof and normalcy had reestablished itself at Nanamori Middle School. Ayano has since resumed her mission of forcing the otaku of applying for official club status, an affair that has brought back happiness to Kyouko's heart. "Kyouko-chan" also turned out to be a one-time affair - Ayano has also resumed the habit of shouting out her full name as an introduction. The flustering and the embarrassment and the awkwardness also returned. So even after the roof, there had been no major alterations, instead everything just balanced out on the baseline, which was, in a way, all the change Ayano really wanted or needed.

But Ayano also rediscovered her confidence with the help of Kyouko, and not long after she rediscovered her pride. She began to do some research in her own time about same-sex attraction and social customs. She researched social movements and organizations both in Japan and abroad, even finding a couple of places in her own local area that could help her with personal struggles if she felt the need. Despite this, she hasn't pursued any assistance - the idea that she was not alone in the world was sufficient enough. Naturally studious, she studied the cultural differences in attitudes towards homosexuality in Japan and in the rest of the world, and the pros and cons of different cultural perspectives. And whereas she found herself liking the fact that, in Western nations, gay people were more open, she also preferred how Japan had historically less violence and homophobia generally than its Western counterparts. She also stumbled across the Western concept of "coming out," and decided that she liked the idea herself. After musing it over, she wanted to have an "outing" herself. After about a week's time, she nervously revealed herself to her close friends in the Student Council and the Amusement Club, and was relieved to find out that all of them were supportive.

Today, she was walking with her friends to her home where she planned to initiate the final phase of her agenda - making her parents recognize her. She was still nervous; however. She was aware of the serious risks involved in this move when dealing with traditionalist parents - she had read tales from America about parents who disowned their own children after they found out they were gay. Yui offered to put her up in her apartment of this worse case scenario should become a reality, but still Ayano dreaded this possibility. Her parents were still her family and she wanted their acceptance. She didn't want to be an alien any longer. Ayano sighed at her dread. This morning she was filled with grandiose fantasies of her taking a bold stand against her oppressors, but now her legs felt weaker and weaker every step closer they took.

'I don't want this to cause a rift between my parents and myself, but at the same time, I can't change for them ever. It's not possible. No, I gotta make this stand.'

Her fear alleviated a little knowing that she was in the presence of all her friends who have shown her only support during this time. Her best friend, Chitose, her fellow student council mates – Himarawi and Sakurako, the Amusement Club team of Yui, Chinatsu, and their friend Akarin, and lastly the girl of her desires, Toshino Kyouko. Knowing that the she was supportive alone would have been sufficient.

They finally arrived at the house. Ayano stopped and starred at her home, taking deep breathes. She felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Kyouko's.

"You want us all to come in with you? These situations tend to work better when you show that you have a force that will sand behind you and impose your will for you," her crush said.

"What do you think we're here to do? Incite revolution?" muttered Yui to her delusional friend.

"No, no, I'm fine," said Ayano, still ventilating. "This is something best done myself."

"Hmm," Kyouko nodded, impressed by Ayano's confidence. Chitose stepped up to console her friend, placing her hand on the available shoulder.

"Well, we'll be right here for you when you're done," her best friend smiled. Ayano returned it and stopped ventilating.

"Yeah, boss," Sakurako added. "You can always count on the student council to have your back."

Himarawi nodded along. "She's right, Suguira-sempai. And that's probably the only time you'll ever hear me agree with her."

"Yeah," yelled out Kyouko with spontaneous energy. "And we'll have a big party to celebrate your coming out officially! You said it was an American thing, right? We can get burgers and hot dogs and things! As long as I get a big rum-raisin ice cream cake!"

Yui struck her on the head, silencing the energetic blonde.

"This isn't about you. What do you think this is? Our birthday?"

"I know. I know. I was only kidding," Kyouko pouted. Ayano couldn't help, but admire how adorable she looked.

Ayano glanced at her front door and returned to sombriety. The moment had come and it was prepared for. She stepped out from her friends and walked towards it. There could be no cop-outs now. If she does this right, then with hope she will be done forever. If not, then at least she proved that she had self respect.

'If I can at least show them that I am a human being and that I deserve better, then that is enough.'

She was about to turn the knob when she heard her crush from behind.

"Oi, Ayano, by the way," the blonde asked as she stepped forward from the group. Ayano faced her. "About that girl, did you ever tell her about your feelings?"

Ayano stared into Kyouko's blue eyes and was mesmerized for a brief moment.

"No, not yet," she said. "Let's take it one courageous act at a time."

Kyouko smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "Good luck, Ayano. Don't forget that you are you no matter what! And people love you for who you are!"

"Umph," Ayano nodded. She went inside and said her piece.

La Fin

* * *

AN: Well, that's the epilogue. A little short I know, but hey it's just an epilogue. Well, that wraps up this yarn. And I have to marvel at my own work for a second. I'm very pleased with how this turned out. I originally meant this to only be a small one-shot, but then I expanded on one point and then another and another and the next thing I knew, I had twenty-two pages of this, and I was all like, "damn, I'm gonna need to post this in multiple chapters."

Well, it wasn't Stalinger or Joyce, but I liked it. And I can tell you all enjoyed it, too. I've been getting nothing but positive feedback. So, I would like to thank you all for taking time out of your day to read this weird guy's tale about closeted lesbians coming out. Yuruyuri is a brilliant show, and I'll probably write another fic about it not too far off from now. Maybe something that's all-out crazy, something "Akari That Fell Through Time-ish" with Daleks and parallel universes.

Oh, and lastly, I would like to give an official thanks to Blaerofvalenwood, a fellow fanfic writer and oataku. If it weren't for her Chunnyibou demo Koi Shitai fanfic, "A Thunderstorm for Summer," a yuri about Nibutani and Dekomori coming together, well then simply put this story would have never existed. So, if you Chuu2koi, read that next right now! Support the arts!

Anyway, thanks again! And see you all next time! Favorite me if you want to see anymore of my work past and future. Goodbye for now.


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